Robotic Wheelchairs of the Future

From Roland
Piquepaille's blog comes news on the future of robot
wheelchairs. Traditional wheelchairs have limited functions and
flexibility.
Their users often need help from nurses or relatives. Several teams are
working on robotic wheelchairs to overcome these
limitations. For example, researchers from the University of Essex Human Centred
Robotics Group and
the Institute of Automation
in Beijing are developing RoboChair,
which is equipped with vision and 3G wireless communication. It will be
able to avoid collisions and plan a path. Meanwhile, Professor Ray
Jarvis of Monash University's Intelligent Robotics
Centre in Australia, is building another robotic
wheelchair (PDF format) which will help people to travel off the
beaten track. His prototype combines robotic navigation with
four-wheel drive. It automatically adapts itself to the user's
capabilities and takes control when needed. And we can't forget to
mention Dean Kamen's iBOT.